In the medical field, it is well-established that many factors affect the speed with which wounds heal. Among those factors, the amount of moisture present at the wound site has been found to be particularly important to the wound healing process. Generally speaking, excessive moisture at the wound site can lead to maceration, undesirable bacterial growth, and excessive protease enzyme activity. This bacterial growth can increase the potential for infection to occur, and the protease enzymes generated can damage tissue at the wound site. Thus, excessive moisture can hamper or delay the wound healing process.
Conversely, insufficient moisture at the wound site can deleteriously affect the wound healing process. Insufficient moisture at the wound site can cause scab or eschar formation and the generation of scar tissue. The formation of such tissues may cause any wound care device or medical dressing in contact with the wound to adhere to the wound. The removal of an adhered device or dressing can cause undue discomfort to the patient and can disrupt granulation tissue at the wound site. The removal of an adhered device or dressing can also leave pieces of the device or dressing imbedded in the wound. The presence of such debris can compound the risk of infection, especially if the wound and/or dressing are already colonized with pathogenic microbes.
A need therefore exists for an article that is suitable for use as a wound dressing and exhibits properties that permit the article to provide an environment suited to the promotion of wound healing. In particular, a need exists for an article that manages fluid (e.g., wound exudates) in such a way as to provide an environment that is sufficiently moist to promote the formation of granulation tissue and other wound-healing structures while also controlling the level of moisture in order to lessen the risk of maceration and the growth or proliferation of undesirable bacteria. The present invention seeks to provide such an article.